Hail the conquering hero!

Latinos know that to get ahead, you have to fight – and win. And even more so in hard times. This seems to be the message that BabyCenter en Español moms and dads wanted to send with the baby names they chose this year.

Jerónimo! The old battle cry takes on new meaning

The rallying cry popularized by American paratroopers in World War II might be responsible for the code name Operation Geronimo, given to the May 2011 mission that resulted in the capture and death of Osama Bin Laden.

The success of that mission no doubt contributed to the rise in popularity for Jerónimo. Last year it was 81st on our list, and this year it’s number 18 – a dramatic and appropriate leap up for a name that U.S. skydivers and other fearless jumpers shout to this day.

Also in keeping with the heroic Operation Geronimo, this year Latinos decided to honor bravery, favoring the name Valentín (in the top 100) and Valentino (up 20 places) for boys. For girls, Valentina and Valeria (think valor) are both holding strong among the girls’ top 10 and are joined this year by Victoria (the victorious!) at number 10.

Religious heroes, champions, and conquerors

Saints have always had a strong presence in our list of top 100 Hispanic baby names. In fact, Santiago and Sebastián have monopolized the top two spots on the boys’ list since we began compiling the BabyCenter en Español list five years ago. Biblical names have also stood firm among the top 15, including Samuel, Mateo, Lucas, and Daniel.

But this year, other equally inspiring names have risen in the ranks too, highlighting Latin American leaders and champions. And while Latinos turned in 2010 to the virtual stars of video games, real-life heroes are the stars in 2011.

Defenders of freedom

The rise of Emiliano to number 17 and of Emilio from 59th place to 37th might owe something to last year’s centennial celebration of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and its famous leader, Emiliano Zapata. Other Latin American heroes whose names gained popularity were Simón (Bolivar) and Lautaro (the Mapuche leader).

Sports stars

Iker, an uncommon name, made it to the top 100 list for the first time with the support of a champion – Iker Casillas – the goalkeeper and captain of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning soccer team. No humble entrance here, either – the name kicked in from nowhere to number 57. Similarly, Juan Martín, also new this year in the top 100, was surely driven by the strong right hand of rising tennis star Juan Martín del Potro. He won the U.S. Open in 2009 and was ranked fourth in the world in 2010.

Christian, this year’s second biggest climber (after Jerónimo), shot up 37 places, undoubtedly propelled by the talented and gorgeous Portuguese soccer celebrity Cristiano Ronaldo. Naming his own son Cristiano (born in May 2011) probably didn’t hurt either.

And speaking of fighting and winning, Cristóbal, a name that had been losing popularity, scored a knockout at position number 72. This could be thanks to Cristóbal Arreola, the Mexican-American boxing champion who by the end of 2011 had 33 wins and two losses.

Winning at wooing

Some say a champion is measured by the number of hearts he steals. If that's true, the greatest Latino musicians are MVPs.

The popularity of Pedro, which leaped 31 places to become one of the fastest rising names along with Augustín and Facundo, seems to indicate that the great interpreters and composers of Latin music influenced choices in boys' names this year.

Pedro probably owes its growing popularity to the Mexican singer and actor Pedro Fernández, who won a Latin Grammy in 2009 for his album, Amarte a la Antigua. It's also worth noting that he has appeared in several soap operas in recent years. Facundo climbed 17 positions as parents paid their last respects to Argentina’s singer-songwriter Facundo Cabral, who died in 2011. Augustín, up 14 spots, evokes the beloved Agustín Lara, a Mexican poet and composer who wrote more than 700 songs.

Musical influence wasn't limited to the classics. The skyrocketing popularity of the name Bruno is surely linked to the sudden fame of American pop singer Bruno Mars (son of a Puerto Rican father, and baptized Peter Hernández), whose megahits "Grenade" and "Just the Way You Are" made him an international star. Two other names climbing our charts are Axel and Alex, which may owe their popularity to young singers Alex Ubago and Axel Fernando.

Another Christian influence: Not only did Cristiano Ronaldo triumph on the soccer field in 2010, but Mexican singer Cristian Castro went double platinum with his album Viva el Príncipe, a tribute to José José. With not one but two superstars to ride, it’s no surprise that the name powered up 37 places in 2011. You can’t go wrong when both Mom and Dad like the name!

Successful women have influence

Who said the fighting spirit is a male privilege? Latinas fight and conquer too – and with a greater variety of weapons, adding grace and harmony to feminine strength and determination. Latino and Latina parents admire all these qualities, and showed it this year in many of their favorite girls’ names.

Michelle and Violeta made some of the biggest gains, and both owe their popularity to powerful women.

Michelle Obama, the great woman next to (not behind!) a great man, U.S. President Barack Obama, inspired her name’s 36-place upward bound after declining in recent years. And the name of Violeta Parra, an unforgettable Chilean composer and a giant in the world of Latin American music, climbed 23 spots this year.

Two other great women’s names appearing on our list for the first time were Elizabeth and Amelia. Prince William’s wedding earlier this year surely inspired parents to choose the name of his royal mother, Queen Elizabeth of England. The second may represent a belated tribute to aviatrix Amelia Earhart, whose story was retold in the film Amelia, released in late 2009.

Telenovelas: Heroines and villainesses

Giving a baby a celebrity's name is nothing new for Latino parents, so it’s no surprise that many of the girls’ names climbing our charts this year match those of the heroines and villainesses in their favorite soap operas.

Which fictional femmes won the popularity contest in 2011? Valentina, heroine of Soy Tu Dueña, a soap opera that broke ratings records in the United States in 2010, is number 4 on this year’s list. Ivana, villainess of Soy Tu Dueña, skyrocketed 45 places on our list – despite or because of the character's tragic end? – to position number 43. And Lola, star of Telemundo's new telenovela Mi Corazón Insiste, climbed 23 spots.

Arianna, seen on Mas Sabe el Diablo, rose 29 positions, and Amanda, the strong and courageous protagonist of Flor Salvaje, advanced 26 places. New in the top 100 are showstopper stars Rafaela (Rafaela), Elena (El Fantasma de Elena), and Rebecca (star of Una Familia con Suerte).

Does Victoria have a secret?

Victoria rose to 10th place this year, and we can’t help but wonder: Does the name’s climb have something to do with the famous lingerie store Victoria's Secret? After all, some naughty new undergarment could be responsible for the arrival of the newest family member.

Interestingly, with Victoria’s ascent came that brand of lingerie’s most famous supermodels and "angels": Ana, jumping 9 positions (Ana Hickmann); Adriana, climbing 6 positions (Adriana Lima); Elizabeth, rising 19 positions (Izabel Goulart); and Daniela, which rose 1 position (Daniela Urzi). In addition, Miranda (Miranda Kerr) and Alessandra (Alessandra Ambrosio), although they have fallen since 2010, remain in the top 100.

It’s the rhythm, it’s the rhyme: …ana, …ina, …ela

When a name becomes popular, parents look beyond it to similar-sounding alternatives, often finding names that rhyme with the original name or have the same ending. Luciana broke into the girls’ top 10 this year, leaping into 8th position, and apparently gave an additional push to Silvana (new in the top 100) as well as Ivana and Ariana, two of this year’s top climbers.

Sofia, the number 1 most popular girl’s name for the fifth consecutive year, brought with it the compounds AnaSofía and SaraSofía, plus the English version Sophie. But perhaps most impressive is that no fewer than 29 girls' names ending in "ana," "ina," and "ela" (Mariana, Daniela, Catalina, Antonella, Agustina ...) are among the 100 favorites. Similarly, male names favored the popular endings "án," "ín," and "el."

So, Sebastián remains a strong second on the boys’ list, and – with the exception of Adrián, Esteban, and Juan – every name ending in "án" or "an" is on the rise: Dylan, Julián, Juan Sebastián, Ian, Cristian, Alan, and Ivan all saw gains. BenjaminJoaquin, Martín, and Augustín are in the top 20. This year Samuel, Daniel, Gabriel, Emmanuel, and Angel also stayed in the top 30, Rafael went up 6 places, and Valentín, JuanMartín, and Damián broke into the top 100.

Juan and María: eternal favorites for compound names

Although the name Juan by itself lost some standing this year, it remains the favorite for compound names in 2011. Of the ten compound names that rank in the top 100, no fewer than eight start with Juan. The strongest climbers among them were JuanPablo and JuanDiego. And JuanMartín is new on this year's list of the top 100. Of course, every rule has an exception: JuanEsteban is the compound that fell the most, down to 99 from number 60 last year.

With María, it’s just the opposite. The simple name is gaining in popularity, while María compounds fell. María José, MaríaFernanda, MaríaPaula, and MaríaCamila are still in the top 100, but they’ve all fallen since last year.

But don’t rule out Maria as a compounder – this year MaríaAlejandra debuted in the top 100 for the first time, at position number 81. In addition, names representing a fusion between María and another name keep gaining popularity: Mariana stands firm in the sixth position and may soon get top-10 company from Maite (María Teresa) and Malena (María Elena), both on the rise.

Check out the foreigners

Several foreign names joined the top 100 for both boys and girls. Are we seeing the effect of economic and cultural globalization?

Among girls' names, Italy continues its strong influence, with Isabella and Valentina in 2nd and 4th position, and Antonella and Renata in position 20 and 21. In addition, Elizabeth and Sophie joined the list of popular imported names this year, and Michelle, Zoe, and Emma are climbing fast. Though they fell a bit this year, Mia and Emily are still in the top 30.

Among boys' names, Ian and Axel made huge leaps, rising 27 and 26 places, respectively. Other names that gained popularity were Alan, Christopher, Anthony, Dylan, and Matthew. The last one undoubtedly owes something to MatthewAlejandro, the baby welcomed by megastar singer and actress Thalia on June 25, 2011.

On the other hand, Kevin and Jonathan both suffered big falls this year (the latter landing outside the top 100), and Joshua is losing its appeal.

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